Days passed one by one, and in just five days the hustle and bustle in Shuzhou City rose wave upon wave without end.
First came Third Place Scholar Li Huaigu parading through the streets, with talented scholars and lovely ladies from all over the city rushing to offer congratulations, hailed by the people of Shu as a scene "unseen in the Great Wei Dynasty for two hundred years."
It was not to say that Shuzhou had never produced a Zhuangyuan or a Tanhua, but rather that the scholars who had previously placed high in the imperial examination had all ridden and patrolled on horseback in the Capital Prefecture.
Consequently, from the Shuzhou City prefect, the Provincial Administration, the Surveillance Commissioner's Office, and the Commander's Office, and the Marquis of Military's manor, down to the common folk, there was not a single person who did not know of it.
Along with this, the affair between Li Huaigu and Yunxiang was also spread far and wide by those with ulterior motives.
People said Li's mother was "breaking up lovers," yet the Tanhua valorously protected the flower and still insisted on marrying Miss Yunxiang.
This directly added a shade comparable to Old Marquis Xiao riding horses to trample the Poshushuo Kingdom to a joyous occasion that was originally just the Tanhua parading through the streets.
It could be considered an extra topic of conversation after tea and meals for the bustling crowds of Shuzhou.
However, alongside the spread of Tanhua Li "breaking up lovers," there was also the matter of Chen Yi, the Xiao Family son-in-law of the Marquis Dingyuan, forcibly snatching Miss Yunxiang.
Although it was unknown where the rumor originated, everything from Chen Yi arriving at the door with maidservants and servants to his failure in the forced snatching and his panicked escape was told with extreme clarity.
Even that verse Chen Yi used to comfort Li Huaigu, "When flowers are ready to be plucked, pluck them straight away, do not wait for branchless blooms and empty twigs," was distorted into the reason for Chen Yi's bride-snatching.
For a time, the whole city was in a storm of gossip.
There were even some scholars ignorant of the truth who ran off to find Li Huaigu for confirmation while simultaneously filing charges at the prefecture yamen, saying they wanted to demand justice and bring Chen Yi to justice.
If Li Huaigu had not personally brought Yunxiang forward to clarify the matter, perhaps this "wicked scoundrel" Chen Yi would have already been dragged out of the Xiao Family and paraded through the streets. That scene surely would have been even more spectacular than Li Huaigu riding a white horse through the streets.
Even so, quite a few commoners in Shuzhou still believed Li Huaigu was under pressure from the Xiao Family and had no choice but to step forward.
For some reason, Chen Yi had the title of "the most shameless matrilocal son-in-law in history" hung upon his head.
He was even portrayed as a burly fellow standing eight feet tall, with a build as sturdy as an ox, and a dark, rugged face.
Spread back and forth, even if it wasn't true, it became true.
Yet not a single one of these marketplace remarks landed in Chen Yi's heart, instead driving Xiao Die to tears, laughter, and anger all at once.
She always felt that the son-in-law only helped Tanhua Li and Yunxiang because of her.
Under the warm daylight, beside the pond in Chunhe Garden, within the pavilion.
Chen Yi lay on a newly made rocking chair as if nothing had happened, rocking back and forth while holding a thick medical book to read.
Xiao Wuge sat beside him, holding a fishing rod and fishing like a little adult, pulling up a golden-haired carp from time to time, cheering, and throwing it back into the pond.
As for Duke of Qian Heir Apparent Zhang Heng, he was on the other side of the pond under Wang Lixing's guard, squatting there watching ants move house while muttering "the most shameless runaway groom" under his breath.
Ever since Chen Yi's bad reputation spread across Shuzhou, he was the happiest of all, looking as though he had known it would turn out this way all along, directly swapping matrilocal son-in-law for runaway groom and inventing yet another moniker for Chen Yi.
Wang Lixing, listening from the side, had the mind to explain a thing or two, but looking at Zhang Heng, whose physique was thinner than his own calf, he could only choose to keep his mouth shut.
Xiao Die looked at the calm-looking Chen Yi, thinking of the recent rumors in Shuzhou City and the Xiao Manor, and her tears flowed uncontrollably once more.
"Son-in-law, it's all my fault, wuwu..."
Chen Yi moved his gaze away from the medical book, glanced at her, and said helplessly, "Look, you're crying again. Your son-in-law isn't dead yet."
Xiao Die whimpered, "I, I don't understand. The Tanhua already explained things the day before yesterday, why do they still not believe it?"
"Clearly you acted out of good intentions, and the Tanhua and Miss Yunxiang have already won Li's mother's consent, why do you..."
Chen Yi handed her a handkerchief and resumed reading his book. "Prejudices in people's hearts are like towering mountains; it is difficult to climb up them, and even harder to cross over them."
Xiao Die wiped her tears. "Then can we just let them ruin your reputation like this?"
Chen Yi thought for a moment. "Actually, making them shut up is quite simple. Tomorrow your son-in-law will go set fire to and burn down the prefecture yamen, and they certainly won't harp on this matter anymore."
Xiao Die stared at him blankly, not even noticing that her tears had flowed into her mouth.
"B-burn the yamen?"
Thinking of the consequences of such an act, Xiao Die instantly found herself between tears and laughter, unable to resist clenching her small fist to strike him as she chided:
"Son-in-law, you're spouting nonsense again."
Chen Yi chuckled, knowing she was fine now, and instructed, "Go see if dinner is ready, I'm hungry."
Xiao Die hastily wiped her tears with the handkerchief, gave an acknowledgment, and walked out of Chunhe Garden.
Xiao Wuge looked back, then secretly memorized a piece of Chen Yi's words.
He thought that when eldest sister Xiao Wan'er returned, he would tell her everything he had gained during this period.
Prejudices in people's hearts and all that-though plain words, they sounded very reasonable.
It was fortunate Chen Yi did not know what he was thinking, otherwise he would surely have given his backside a few heavy blows.
At this moment, he was combining the minor accomplishment medical dao in his mind to cram medical knowledge outside of the Treatise on Cold Damage Disorders.
Ever since his cultivation base broke through to the Ninth Rank, Upper Stage on that day, his various techniques had been improving in an orderly fashion, but they were still a bit lacking from a breakthrough.
And if he wanted to break through, besides cultivation, he also needed a large amount of fortune to improve the realms of his martial dao body, fist, and movement technique.
The gap was too vast now, so he spent eleven points of fortune and, with the aid of the newly learned Treatise on Cold Damage Disorders, elevated his medical dao to the minor accomplishment realm first.
Immediately after, Chen Yi perceived that the profound mysteries of this medical dao far exceeded his imagination.
Even the entry stage encompassed aspects such as Yin and Yang, the Five Elements, viscera and meridians, and the Four Diagnostic Methods and Eight Principles.
It also required him to recognize common illnesses, be able to write prescriptions, use silver needles to cross acupoints to relieve pain, and decoct herbal medicines to dispel evil and support the righteous.
As for reaching the minor accomplishment realm, it was even more all-encompassing.
Aside from the foundational content, it not only added syndrome differentiation and treatment, enabling him to flexibly apply methods such as Six Meridian Syndrome Differentiation and Defense-Qi-Nutrient-Blood Syndrome Differentiation, but it also required him to know how to use Qi to control needles and dredge the meridians.
In contrast, although fist dao had distinctions of fist techniques, palm techniques, and leg techniques, there were still many commonalities among them.
Thus, upon stepping into the medical dao, Chen Yi immediately felt that his time was not enough.
To put it vividly-medical dao broadens unregrettingly, for medicine one grows haggard and thin.
"Why on earth is your son-in-law suffering like this?"
Chen Yi shook his head inwardly, and speaking of the cause, he had to blame Li Huaigu; who told him not to come from any other background, but to insist on a family tradition of medicine.
A day passed quickly.
After nightfall, Chen Yi practiced stake training and techniques with Pei Guanli as usual.
However, starting yesterday, he had taken the initiative to propose adding an item-sparring with Pei Guanli once every day to increase his practical combat experience.
Naturally, Pei Guanli would not refuse; she likewise wanted to prove that she had only been careless previously.
However, ideals were full of promise, but reality dealt her a head-on blow.
In two consecutive spars, Chen Yi won both, which truly proved hard for her to bear.
Pei Guanli could not understand: in terms of cultivation base, she was somewhat stronger than Chen Yi, and her body movement technique and technique grades were not low, both of which she practiced with complete ease.
How was it that in sparring, her movement techniques and palm techniques yielded so little effect when used?
Chen Yi found it hard to explain clearly. If he had to say-his minor accomplishment Dao realm allowed him to see through every single one of Pei Guanli's moves and changes, and even her circulating Qi could be seen with absolute clarity.
Added to the fact that Chen Yi had likewise mastered the Meteor Butterfly Steps and the Hundred Flower Palm, the superposition of the two naturally meant he knew how to counter them.
Thus he cultivated all the way until the midnight hour of zi-
[Daily Intelligence · Yellow Grade High Rank: At noon quarter, Duchess of Qian Xiao Qiuyun disciplines her son. A small amount of fortune can be obtained.]
Chen Yi raised his eyebrows inwardly; his luck was quite good. Not only could he obtain fortune, but he could also watch Young Heir Apparent Zhang Heng get scolded and beaten.
Only, he wondered whether the current Duchess of Qian was truly "disciplining her son" or if there was a larger component of acting.
With these thoughts, Chen Yi ended his overnight cultivation, parted ways with Pei Guanli, and walked toward the wooden tower.
Just at that moment, a voice abruptly came from beside his ear.
"Second son-in-law, it's so late, you haven't gone to sleep yet?"
Chen Yi turned his head to look and frowned inwardly. The figure at the entrance of Chunhe Garden was none other than Liu Si'er.
Before you continue